The Yakovlev Yak-54 is a 1990s Russian aerobatic and sports competition aircraft designed by the Yakovlev Aircraft Corporation.
Part of a new generation of acrobatic aircraft from the Yakovlev design bureau who have a long line of aircraft designs started in 1937 with UT-2/AIR-10. It is a development of the single-seat Yak-55M, designed by Chief Constructor Dmitry Drach and Lead Engineer Vladimir Popov[1] it first flew 23 December 1993.
It was produced by Saratov Aviation Facility in cooperation with JSV "Gorky U-2" up to 2005, when the production moved to the Arsenyev Aviation Company "Progress" facility in Arsenyev.
Despite its earlier number, the Yak-54 was actually developed from the Yak-55M, to replace the Yak-56. It is the OKB's latest aerobatic trainer, with the airframe of the Yak-55M modified with an instructor cockpit added at the rear, and with redesigned undercarriage main legs raked further forward, a taller fin, redesigned rudder and elevators, three-blade propeller and minor changes to the engine installation (for example, additional coolingair exit louvres). The cockpits are covered by a single canopy hinged to the right, behind a smaller fixed windscreen. Remarkably, the structure is stressed to the even higher negative load factor of —7.
Project manager is D K Drach, chief engineer V M Popkov and the OKB test pilots are A S Vyatkin and A A Sinitsyn (chief Yak-141 test pilot). Painted in a new scheme of white, green and red, the unflown prototype was shown at the 1993 Paris airshow, bearing no marking but the airshow number 310. Later it was given the cryptic registration 01001 and first flown on 24 December 1993, the pilot not being one of those assigned to the programme but Sh Z Khamidulin. Production will be at Saratov.
Bill Gunston & Yefim Gordon "Yakovlev Aircraft since 1924", 1997
Specification
WEIGHTS
Take-off weight 990 kg 2183 lb
Empty weight 700 kg 1543 lb
DIMENSIONS
Wingspan 8.16 m 27 ft 9 in
Length 6.91 m 23 ft 8 in
Wing area 12.89 m2 138.75 sq ft
PERFORMANCE
Max. speed 360 km/h 224 mph
Ceiling 4500 m 14750 ft